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If Democrats wanted to avoid losing as many seats in the House and Senate as they did during Tuesday's midterm elections, then maybe they should have followed the re-election plan of Senate Majority leader Harry Reid.
Reid was facing a tough -- although I'm not sure why -- opponent in Tea Partier Sharron Angle.
This woman had some views that can only be viewed as extremist in light of accepted political culture in this country. Angle was against abortion even in cases of rape or incest. She wanted to privatize Medicare and Social Security and abolish the Department of Education and Department of Environmental Protection.
In addition, she kept making weird comments, like claiming that Dearborn, Mich., which has a large Muslim and Arab population, is run under Islamic Law or Sharia.
Reid did two things that Democrats around the country did not do well enough: He painted Angle as the odd extremist that she is, and he rallied Democrats and Hispanics on issues that were important to both parties.
The AP writes:
He adeptly painted opponent Sharron Angle as an extremist immediately after she won her primary -- and proceeded to make the contest as much about her awkward and unconventional statements as Reid's own troubles.
Then he deployed his secret weapon: a powerful turnout machine that brought Democratic and Hispanic voters out to the polls in droves. Reid's relentless TV ad assault against Angle, and his powerful get-out-the-vote effort were huge factors in his no-holds-barred victory over Angle on a day when Republicans seized control of the House and gained Senate seats.
By the time he was done with her, Reid had pummeled Angle over everything from her proposal to phase out Medicare to her suggestion while in the Legislature that inmates enter a drug rehabilitation program devised by the founder of Scientology.
"Before Sharron could put her hands up and put her [boxing] gloves on, they did a pretty good job tagging her," said Republican media consultant John Brabender, a member of Angle's team, to the AP.
Maybe that's what President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats should have done.
Take Rand Paul for example. It's AMAZING that a candidate who believes that business owners should be allowed to pick and choose whom to serve based solely on race -- because the rights of proprietors supersede the civil rights of those being discriminated against -- would be elected to the U.S. Senate.
I can't believe that could not be used as a rallying cry for every black and brown person, even women, in Kentucky and every person who loves equality.
Marc Rubio, who won a Senate seat in Florida and is already being viewed as a 2012 vice presidential candidate and future presidential candidate, would like to overturn Roe v. Wade and raise the retirement age for Social Security. African Americans don't get to enjoy the benefits now because we die earlier.
Do black folks in Florida not care about having money when they retire?
Reid was also successful in getting out the vote.
The AP writes:
The exit poll showed that Reid won two-thirds of the Hispanic vote, eight in 10 blacks and three-quarters of Asians. He said Wednesday he has long sought to make inroads with Hispanics, even when others questioned him.
"People, in fact, made fun of me, saying, 'Why are you wasting your time with a group that doesn't register, and if they register, don't vote?' Well, we proved that wrong in 2008 and we certainly proved that ... wrong last night," Reid said.
Obama and the Democrats focused on black voters and young voters too late in the process, pulling out Common and Russell Simmons late in the game. These constituencies should have been a priority the day after Obama took office in 2009.
Instead, Democrats failed, and more than 30 Tea Party candidates were elected to Congress. Now these candidates have to deliver. They have to explain how they plan to cut taxes and cut the deficit if they are not willing to touch our unwieldy defense spending. I have a feeling that the reality of making policy will show itself to be a lot more difficult than making speeches to people who are angry because they've lost their jobs and homes.
Maybe President Obama should not be afraid to lay out an agenda and speak more directly to African Americans, his most fervent supporters. Maybe, with two years to learn from their mistakes, Democrats will do just that.
Comments: (16)
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By: Brady on 11/04/2010 2:34PM
Man, my God, get over it. Its over, you got beat down. Take your own advice, after President Obama won, the advice to opponents was "Get over it". I suggest you do the same.
And here is a news flash for you, black folks werent doing well under Obama anyway, those that are not in love with him, will openly and truthfully admit it.
I guess its preferable to be ignored by democrats. Even if they had of won, black folk still didnt have a seat at the table. We still be on the outside of the party, looking in.
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By: Michele on 11/05/2010 2:20PM
Brady, African-Americans have done well under several presidents that were all Democrats. At this point no one will do well because it takes time to pull out of mess that was made by an idot in the White House. There were eight years craziness. You had two wars and a blind fool aiding his rich friends in every possible way he could. So I say give President Obama time to do what needs to be done. Thank you very much.
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By: madmax on 11/04/2010 3:43PM
The Republicans you're talking about have been dead a long, long, time, and would not recognize their party being hijacked by the likes of Barry Goldwater, who sold his soul to southeren whites who deserted the Democratic Party for the Republicans, over the Civil Rights Act. The number of elected black Republicans is proof of what the Republican Party really thinks about their black candidates. How many high profile white Republicans were endorsing Allen West down in Florida? If Steele was good enough to be RNC chairman, why wasn't he good enough to run on the ticket with John McLame...the worst presidential candidate the Republicans have ever produced? The fact is, people like you pretend they know a lot about African-American history, and American history in general, but what you don't realize, is that African-Americans already know, that the only choice they have between Republicans and Democrats, is who gets to hold the whip, but at least the Democrats don't beat them as hard, or as often.
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By: dawggybon on 11/05/2010 1:30AM
Ridiculous comment reflecting a level of ignorance that seems to be pervasive in the black community. The same tired old rants that have been passed from generation to generation. Blacks hold blacks back. Stop blaming others for your failures in life. Get an education, get a job, get off of all forms of public assistance (other people's money), feeling sorry for yourself and hating others. If you think you have it so bad ask yourself what your life would look like without the white people that you constantly moan about but gladly take from. Haiti comes to mind or perhaps somewhere on the African continent. You so proudly refer to yourselves as African American's so take an honest look at what your situation would be like there. Maybe Nigeria, Ethiopia, Congo, Angola? There’s your dose of reality. Stop your whining, blaming others for your failures, get off your backsides, stop biting the white hand that feeds far too many of you and count your blessings fool!
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By: madmax on 11/04/2010 3:27PM
One other thing about Reid and why he won. He refused to make the race about Palin and President Obama. He didn't run away from the Obama administration like some of the other cowards tried to do, and he didn't play defense. He took the fight to his opponent, and when she couldn't answer, she retreated from the press, which was a big mistake. All the other democratic candidates who lost, lost because they tried to distance themselves from President Obama, and never spoke up to defend any of the decisions he made that they supported, or because they allowed their opponents to run against a made up narrative against Obama, instead of focing their opponents to answer for their support of Bush, and his failed policies. So what if Bush left the scene of the crime two years ago...Americans have a very short memory,
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By: Robert on 11/04/2010 5:33PM
Thank you Captain Hindsight!
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By: Jackie on 11/04/2010 6:09PM
I agree everyone wants to put President Obama down the good he is trying to do for all Americans. Please look at the past President did nothing but start a war that hurt the whole country financially. I don't understand the tea party a bunch of Klans without the sheets. The country better take a good look. Every thing Obama tried to help all Americans they vote it down. Never once have they tried think about the Whole country as a whole. Obama's administration did not create the problem were in the Past Bush administration. Be careful where you throw stones the disrespect you give our President. I pray for our Administration and our country. I have never seen so many evil and undermined people in my life. The fact we have a man thats for all people not just for the mighty rich. The so call tea party wants to see our President fail. But God is still in control.
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By: slick on 11/04/2010 6:46PM
"the disrespect you give our President. I pray for our Administration and our country. I have never seen so many evil and undermined people in my life".
Ok so now your horrified. This same level of contempt was leveled at the previous President, but funny i never heard any righteous indignation then.
The President is the President period, your indignation shouldnt be based on race or party affilation, but respect for the office.
You have never seen so many evil and undermined people in my life". lady please, You must have been born in 2008.
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By: dawggybon on 11/05/2010 1:39AM
Jackie - OB did take on a lot. Obviously way more than he can handle. If BO had ever run anything other than his mouth he would have known that the job was way over his head. Instead of focusing on creating jobs as he should and listening to what the people were saying, he spent all of his time on his pet projects like health care reform, nationalizing U.S.industries and generally trying to transform this country into a socialist welfare state. It cost him and those dems / libs that blindly followed him while ignoring the growing outrage of their constituents.
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By: Li Wright on 11/04/2010 8:27PM
Upcoming I think the Dems are going to not only follow Reid's lead, but also Murkowski's idea of giving out wrist bands so the voters knew how to spell her name. That was sheer genius.
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